UC Berkeley

The generation of monodisperse droplets with microfluidics is valuable for applications ranging from material science to single cell analysis. However, conventional methods for forming droplets are limited in throughput, particularly when the fluids have low interfacial tension or high viscosity, like biological or polymer fluids. Rapid emulsification of biological and polymer fluids using bubble-triggered droplet generation is demonstrated. In addition to making droplets over tenfold faster than conventional drop makers with equivalent monodispersity, bubble-triggering can form droplets smaller than the nozzle, allowing droplets of the desired size to be generated in large channels that are robust against clogging. (Figure presented.).